(PhysOrg.com) -- To a robot designer like Sangbae Kim, the animal kingdom is full of inspiration. "I always look at animals and ask why they are the way they are," says Kim, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering ...
Robotics
Sep 25, 2009
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0
Velcro. Airplanes. Sonar. What do these have in common? The invention of each was inspired by nature. Velcro mimics burdock burr's ability to attach to clothing. Birds in flight motivated the eventual development of airplanes. ...
Nanomaterials
Nov 11, 2021
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183
A new study has revealed how remora suckerfish detach themselves from the surfaces they've clung to—and how the mechanism could provide inspiration for future reversible underwater adhesion devices.
General Physics
Aug 24, 2020
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248
Sometimes, breaking rules is not a bad thing. Especially when the rules are apparent laws of nature that apply in bulk material, but other forces appear in the nanoscale.
Polymers
Jun 4, 2020
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130
Invasive species control is notoriously challenging, especially in lakes and rivers where native fish and other wildlife have limited options for escape. In his laboratory's latest foray into using biomimetic robots to understand ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 16, 2019
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173
Biomedical engineers at Penn State have developed a process to build protective, synthetic plant cell walls around animal cells. The work, published in Nature Communications, could hold significant potential for a variety ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 17, 2019
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31
The natural world, with all its diversity, is a popular place for researchers to go looking for new drugs, including those that fight cancer.
Biochemistry
Jan 25, 2019
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271
Inspired by nature, Chinese scientists have produced a synthetic analogue to vulcanized natural rubber. Their material is just as tough and durable as the original. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, they reveal the secret ...
Materials Science
Dec 10, 2018
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33
An eco-friendly, coating-free strategy has been developed to make solid surfaces liquid-repellent, which is crucial for the transportation of large quantities of liquids through pipes. Researchers from KAUST's Water Desalination ...
Condensed Matter
Sep 7, 2018
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126
As the world grapples with climate change, we urgently need to find ways of reducing our CO₂ emissions. Sectors which rely heavily on fossil fuels, such as energy and aviation, are commonly held to be the worst offenders. ...
Engineering
Mar 9, 2016
1
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